Born and raised in a tropical country, I’m used to being pampered with the comfort
of warm waters. A three-millimeter wetsuit is enough to contain my body
temperature when I dive. Vibrant coral reefs are a common sight when scuba diving
in Indonesian waters.

Imagine diving in 15°C-17°C waters. As someone that cannot withstand cold
temperatures, I may freeze in just 30 minutes. But I’ve never refused the opportunity to
go diving in cold waters when I was in New Iceland, as I will never again get the
opportunity to experience the diving conditions that is very different from what I’m
used to.

Our diving point was at Bay of Islands, New Zealand, with an array of islands that look like large
and tall rocks. Aside from Canterbury Wreck that I’ve mentioned previously, our
other diving point is Big Eyes Lair.

To withstand cold weather, we used a thick seven-millimeter wetsuit. For myself,
the most calorie-burning part while diving was putting on the wetsuit – especially
with its seven-millimeter thickness. But I as I dove into the cold waters of Bay of
Islands, I didn’t even feel as if I’m wearing the wetsuit (that’s more than twice as
thick from what I’m used to). The wetsuit and hood saved me from freezing up. They
prevented the water from having contact with my skin, of which started to warm up
because of my body temperature.

Since diving in, the surroundings felt quite different. There are no colorful corals, no
clownfish dancing around sea anemones. There was only silence, the sound of
bubbles from oxygen tanks and the ‘forest’ in front of us. The base of Big Eyes Lair is
full of giant stones, with aquatic plants growing in between. The plants are quite tall
and thick, making us not being able to pass between the plants. I feel as if I am in an
underwater forest. So much fun!

Shane and Sam from Northland Dive whom accompanied us immediately asked
Ferry and I to enter a cave. The crevice in the cave is large enough, so we weren’t
worried at all. The length of the cave was around 17 meters with a flat bottom – very
easy for beginners, especially ourselves who are still adapting to the buoyancy in a
seven-millimeter wetsuit.

But Wakatobi does not only have its beautiful and colorful corals populated by small
fish. To look at the vivid corals is delightful, but sometimes it may be quite boring for
some people. But for myself, being underwater with the pretty corals is never boring.

In Ali Reef, one of the diving points in Wakatobi, the word “boring” hardly comes out.
That’s mainly because other groups often greet us when they come to this spot. Located
near Tomia Island, Wakatobi, it requires only less than 30 minutes by boat to go to Ali
Reef.

When going towards the top area, I saw a black cluster in the waters. That black cluster
was actually a school of jackfish, numbered in the hundreds – or even in the thousands!
The schooling jackfish circled the flat top area of the reef.

The water current in this area is quite strong that myself and most of my friends from
Daihatsu Terios 7 Wonders had to hook ourselves to a dead coral while enjoying the
view of the occupied schooling jackfish. I couldn’t help myself but to let go of the hook
and wander closer to the school of jackfish.

They love to make a ball formation :D

Sure, those fishes will be a nice background for your profile picture ;)

One of our friend was so eager approaching the school of fish that they didn’t notice
that their oxygen tank level was running low. So an immediate safety stop was done and
they started heading to the surface. Our activities really make us lose track of time,
don’t they? :)

@marischkaprue - she's having a busy life, at the surface or
below the water

I arrived in Switzerland in a time before summer. Even so, the transition period from
spring to summer can sometimes be covered in rain and cloudy skies. The first few
days in Switzerland was quite dark, the drops of rain accompanied my friends and I. I
tried my best to get a great picture even though the cloudy weather still lingers.

Despite everything, in this city I was welcomed with the shining sun, blue skies, and
a wonderful atmosphere. The wind sometimes still felt chilly, but it was still the
perfect weather to walk around town. It’s as if Rapperswil didn’t want me to see its
beauty, because of the fuzzy skies. Clear skies and a beautiful town – this is one of
my favorite cities in Switzerland!

Rapperswil, or Rapperswil-Jona is a city located on the side of Zurich River. In the
past, Rapperswil was set apart from Jona City, of which are now combined and
named Rapperswil-Jona. But some people still just call it Rapperswil.

It only takes a two-hour train ride to get to this town from Zurich station. When I
arrived in Rapperswil, I walked towards the lakeside near to the station. White swans
and ducks gather at the lakeside, particularly near Bootsvernietung area. The
roadside that is right next to the lake has numerous pretty-looking cafes that adds
even more of the wonderful feeling being in Rapperswil

There’s one thing that makes Rapperswil unique: flowers! Yes, there are so many
flowers in this town, Rapperswil is called the City of Flowers. This phenomenon is
seen as we go around town. I can easily spot balconies with flowers, roses blooming
at the side of the road, and of course, a rose garden!

Before heading for Lindenhof, located on the side of Rapperswil hill, we stopped by a
rose garden in an old area of Rapperswil town. I came in the month of August - the
perfect time to be here because from July to September is the season when roses
bloom and gives out a wonderful scent in the garden.

We then climbed some stairs towards Lindenhof, where the Rapperswil’s cityscape
looks gorgeous. In this viewing point area we enjoyed a different number of views
observable from different angles, from Zurich Lake, Rapperswil’s old town, to the
Castle of the Counts of Rapperswil that is a five-minute walk from Lindenhoft viewing
point.

Our guide, Michael invited us to go up the tower. I was trying catching my breath as
best as I can, as I pass by an infinite number of staircases. But when I arrived at the
highest point with its view of the city rooftops and old town seen clearly from the
window, I thought to myself, ‘this climb was well worth it!’

‘Pretty’ is the perfect word to describe Rapperswil. This is a city that we will gladly
stroll around, to walk around casually or to hang out in cafes near Zurich Lake.
Rapperswil is beautiful like its flowers!

@marischkaprue - she loves flowers as much as she loves
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I Join this Switzerland trip with Qatar Airways,
from Jakarta to Zurich then simply traveling by train to other cities,
including Zermatt. Anyway, they have a very nice business class with the
best lounge in Hamad International Airport, Doha :)